Here is my prediction of what will happen regarding Iraq

Not that it means much - but this is what I think is going to happen.....

The hydrocarbon law that the Iraqi's need to make into law is the only thing that is holding American troops on the ground right now. That is the big one. Once this happens - Bush will pull out. If it does not happen with Maliki in power - then they will find someone who can push it through. The iraqi's know this. That is why August will be so bloody.

Iraq will collapse. Actually, it already has.....the only thing that is propping it up is too few American soldiers trying to do too much. And they knew civil war would break out - and still there are not enough boots on the ground. I think the result in Iraq was all carefully planned for and deliberate. Yes - the civil war was deliberate. You have only to look at the gaspump to realize this. Supply and demand - no supply because of civil war increases the price. When the troops leave, the civil war winds down (as it will when western foreigners are gone) and the oil companies step in to reap the profits and leave the mess to the iraqi government to explain to their people.

Ask yourself why this oil law is priority #1 on the current strategy???? Not quelling violence. Not rooting out elements of Al quaida, not rebuilding electricity and water infrastructure......no - the oil comes first.

The democrats will claim victory when Bush pulls out the troops. Republicans will say something along the line that the president is wise in his decision to bring the hero's home. Bush could care less. His oil masters got what they wanted. And you paid for it with your tax dollars and your children's blood.

They are already setting the table - preparing the public. Democrats and republicans alike.

Southern (Shiite) Iraq is already effectively in the hands of the Iranians. The Saudis will send in mercenaries to occupy the Sunni areas. The Turks will keep an eye on the Kurds; only time will tell if the Kurds can continue its tradition of seeking a modicum of independance when surround by competing factions. Might be a bloodbath for them if they're not careful.

"The Interantional Position of Romania at the Outbreaks of the Two World Wars." In this case, that of the First. Romania was covetous of a slice of the Romanian majority/Hungarian minority in Transylvania, then under Hungarian control. Pressed on the Eastern Front by Russia, and on the Western by Germany and Austria while still drooling over Transylvania and some revanche over a buttkicking from Bulgaria some years earlier. . .

Geez, with "friends" and neighbors like that. . .

Now let's count Turkish, Syrian and Iranian Kurdistan as "Transylvania" and those states as Hungary. Iran and Saudi Arabia are Germany and Russia.

The result: the Allies won Romania over with secret treaties re: Transylvania and a slice of Bulgaria. The Germans, Austrians and Bulgarians along with the Hungarians invaded. The government was holed up in Cluj on the then Russian Frontier. . . Until the war's end when they grabbed Transylvania after driving Bela Kun's Communist government out of Budapest, gobbled their slice of Bulgaria and then waited for the revanche to kick in. As it did before the various Versailles Peace treaties' signatures were even dry to the touch.

The only country that was able to play off powerful neighbors to get what they wanted was tiny Montenegro. Play Austria off of Serbia, then Russia off of Austria, etc. Not a pleasant way to live, I would wager, never knowing when the boot heel might fall upon the head.

it's clearly all about the oil ...

let me offer you two contrary views on this perspective that I've been weighing ... see what you think ...

first, you have some of the ideas Greg Palast wrote about in Armed Madhouse ... Palast argues that the goal is NOT the hydrocarbon law and stealing Iraqi oil but rather occupying Iraq and keeping Iraqi oil off the market to hike up prices, and hence profits ...

and second, a recent non-binding vote in the Iraqi Parliament called for the US to withdraw its forces. If that trend continues into binding legislation, especially if there's some form of coming together to kick out the US between Al Sadr and the Sunnis, the hydrocarbon law might not get signed at all.

overall, though, I agree with your premise. if the Democrats really wanted to end the occupation, they could have taken out all the timelines (as bush demanded) but required only that 1. no foreign entity could profit from Iraq oil and 2. no foreign permanent bases or troops to guard pipelines and oil fields could remain in Iraq ... it says plenty that the Democrats never made this a part of their supplemental Iraq funding legislation ...

it's not clear to me any longer that the Oil Law will be pushed through. as i said probably six months ago or more, Maliki is toast. he clearly decided to play ball with bush after some initial resistance but he's so badly compromised by his ties to the US that it's hard to see how he'll be able to push through the Oil Law or remain in power. i wouldn't rule out an unfortunate "accident" either.

You Sir/Madam, are Correct.
I really thought we had a opposition party here in the US,but obviously we don't.
Its a disgrace.
We are slowly losing whats left of our so called democracy/Malcomx,was right.
Just because you were invited to the dinner table,does that mean that you will eat.
This tyrant G.W.Bush has been able to get everything he wanted since he was elected.

Rolling back our freedoms,our privacy,our legit right to protest without being deemed anti-american and supporters of terrorist and terrorism,and most of all,has terrorized Americans,to accept a permanent climate of fear and paranoia about terrorist threats as the norm,so as to justify their bogus war for profits with permanent war,to keep us safe,when in reality Bush and his cabal is the biggest threat to our universe.
The so called Democrats are implicit in this Iraq immoral catastrophe.
I am sick with this:mad: